The Stars Burn Brightest When They Die
by Team Foster-Keefe 11
Summary: What happens after the Neverseen are gone? Sophie's left in an intense love triangle, and suddenly school is more intense than ever with her trying to balance her friends, work, and boys who might be MORE than just friends. Who knew being a teenager was this hard? (I suck at summaries I PROMISE the story will be better)
1. Chapter 1

The Lost Cities had been peaceful for almost a year now. The Neverseen had been defeated and imprisoned to a meticulous extent, Lady Gisela locked up deep below the ground in Exile, and Vespera somewhere in a hellish afterlife. Sophie Foster finally felt like a regular teenager - surrounded by a caring circle of friends, getting dragged on shopping trips to Atlantis, and stressing for midterms instead of saving the world.

That's exactly what she was doing right now, in fact. Her imagination was spiraling out of control, picturing the absolute worst possible scenarios for Elementalism.

"She's gonna fail me," Sophie moaned.

"Lady Llewyn won't fail you," Biana soothed. "I mean, she might give you a really low score and then… you know what? She won't fail you."

They were seated in the cafeteria for lunch, waiting for the rest of their friends before eating.

"But she's evil," Sophie insisted.

"She can't be," Biana said, being the considerate friend she was. "Hey, we can ask Keefe," she added as the blond boy slid onto the bench of their table. His hair was immaculately styled as usual in its carefully disheveled style, his ice colored eyes sparkling with humor.

"Why the long face, Foster?" he asked with a trademark smirk. "Someone make you smell curdleroots?"

"She's scared Lady Llewyn's going to fail her," Biana explained.

"Lady Llewyn?" Keefe made a face. " I had her last year. She's evil."

"That's exactly what I said!" Sophie exclaimed, sliding lower in her chair. "See Biana?"

Biana shot Keefe a disdainful look. "You're supposed to make her feel better, not the other way around."  
"Alright then, what do you need, Foster?" Keefe slung an arm around her shoulders. "A joke? A hug? A kiss from the boyfriend?"

'The boyfriend', accompanied by Dex and Linh joined them at the table. Fitz looked flawless (as always), his hair the perfect mix of tousled and done up, teal eyes glittering, and splendid smile reserved just for Sophie.

The annoying flutter of her heart kicked into action on cue. It still hadn't faded, even after all these years.

"What's this I hear about a kiss?" Fitz asked, sitting down on Sophie's left as Keefe pulled his arm back.

"Sophie's stressing about exams," Biana told her brother. "Maybe you can do a better job of making her feel better."

"Is it the Mentor or the class?" Fitz sounded adorably concerned.

"Mentor," Sophie said.

"Lady Llewyn, you know how she is," Keefe said.

Fitz looked like he wanted to say something about the Elementalism Mentor, but opted for wrapping his arm around Sophie's shoulders.

Seriously, what was it with boys' arms and her shoulders?

"You've passed Elementalism four times," Fitz said into her ear. He smelled good, so she leaned her head against his. "You're Sophie Foster. You can do anything you want."

It was the "I know you can" he added that somewhat convinced her.

Against her will, Sophie's brain jumped immediately to the other thing gnawing at her. It felt like the glowing words on the screen back in the Matchmakers' were imprinted on her eyeballs.

Unmatchable.

Unmatchable.

Unmatchable.

Issues with the Neverseen had been too pressing at the time, what with stellarlune and 'legacies' and Tam's disappearance, so she'd told only Grady, Edaline and Sandor. It felt selfish to add her own personal problems to the ever-growing list of their group's, so she kept the secret to the people she trusted most. She and Fitz had stayed together, confirming boyfriend and girlfriend. But Fitz was seventeen now, completely eligible for picking up his match lists, and Sophie would have to tell him sooner or later.

"Get a room, Fitzphie." Tam's voice cut through Sophie's thoughts as he sat down next to Linh.

"This might be the only thing I'll ever agree with you on, Bangs Boy," Keefe said as Sophie and Fitz snapped apart.

"Dude, how about we have a conversation about you and Sophie?" Dex asked with a grin.

"Dude, how about we have a conversation about you and Biana?" Keefe mimicked with a smile to rival, which shut Dex up pretty fast.

"Sir Doughan's gonna fail me," Tam groaned in the following quiet.

"See?" Sophie said. "Everyone's worrying about midterms!"

"Why, though?' Keefe wondered. "Just cheat. Or wing it!"

"Cheat?" Linh looked scandalized. "Okay, number one, that's unethical, and number two, what if you got caught?"

"Chill, Linh," Keefe reassured her. "That was a joke."

"But what about the 'wing it' part?" Biana pointed out.

"That sure as heck wasn't a joke," Keefe clarified.

"How have you managed to get such good scores when winging it?" Fitz asked him.

Keefe winked. "That, my good friend, is all in the looks."

"No, but really," Dex said. "Don't stress so much Sophie. All of us have done way too much of that for an elven lifetime."

There was a heavy silence that settled over them after that, not because they all knew it was true, but because they were remembering.

Suddenly, Biana squealed. "I know what we can do!"

"What do you mean?" Dex asked.

"Let's have a sleepover!"

"A sleepover?" Tam repeated.

"Yeah! To relax, the day before the day before midterms."

"At Everglen tomorrow," Fitz said. "Why not?"

"I'm down," Keefe said.

"Me too," Sophie added.

"Me too," said Dex.

"Tam and I can come too," Linh decided.

"Wha-? I-" Tam started.

"Stop sulking and have some fun," Linh told her twin.

Tam did exactly what she'd told him not to and sulked. "Fine."

Biana spent the rest of lunch monopolizing the conversation, loudly listing all the things they could do.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Chapter 2! I'm gonna try and update every week, usually around fri/sat/sun. Please comment if you can, constructive criticsm (spelling?) is always appreciated.**

Fitz opened the gleaming doors of Everglen to greet Sophie the next day. Biana was by his side, looking radiant as always in a gleaming purple dress. Her hair was pulled over her shoulder in some fancy intricate braid that made Sophie's head hurt just seeing it, almost like she'd dressed up for some occasion… or someone. It almost made Sophie regret the patterned red tunic and leggings she was wearing. But it did have a deeper-than-usual neck, and she'd dusted gold powder over her eyelids and cheekbones, so that counted as dressing up for her at least.

"Hi," Sophie said, smiling.

"Hey," Fitz said. "Everyone's already here."

"But he was waiting for you," Biana interjected.

"Biana!" Fitz's younger sister laughed and pulled Sophie inside.

She's not wrong, Fitz transmitted to Sophie.

Her face flamed like it always did when he praised her like that. She didn't know what to answer to that, so she offered him another smile, following the Vacker siblings to one of the large sitting rooms on the second floor. Lushberry juice and numerous pastries, probably courtesy of Della, were spread all over the table in the middle of the room. Keefe, Dex, Tam, and Linh were munching on mallowmelt and sipping juice, sitting in armchairs or couches. Well, Dex, Tam, and Linh were sitting. Keefe was positioned in something that could have been described as a casual sprawl with his legs across one of the arms of the chair.

"Heyyy, Foster," he drawled.

"Hey," she greeted everyone, and they chorused the word back to her.

Biana sat down on a sofa next to Tam, and Sophie and Fitz took the only empty seats, on an embroidered ironic loveseat.

Biana clapped her hands as Sophie and Fitz picked up food. "Truth or dare first?"

Everyone agreed, and Biana decided she'd go first. "Truth or dare, Dex?" she asked.

"Umm, truth," he answered.

A wicked smile crept over her lips. "Okay, I got it. Would you rather dye Iggy ice blue or teal?"

Dex quickly understood the double meaning hidden in the question. Sophie was glad to see no trace of jealousy in his features as he told her, "Teal."

Fitz whooped. "Sucks to be you, Keefe!"

"Oh, but why, Dex?" Linh asked. "You have to explain."

"I feel like it'd match Iggy's eyes better."

Tam snorted. "Yeah, right. Iggy's eyes are gray."

Fitz grinned even wider.

Keefe crossed his arms, warning Dex, "You're gonna pay, I can promise you that."

Sophie blushed just a little bit as she told Dex, "Your turn."

"Truth or dare?" he asked her.

She really didn't feel like answering an embarassing truth or one with hidden meaning, so she chose "dare", instantly regretting it when Dex's eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Scoot over so that you and Fitz are touching," he told her. The group "ohhhh" - ed at his dare, and Sophie was sure she was redder than a tomato.

Fitz shrugged. "A dare's a dare."

Sophie only slightly reluctantly slid over so her shoulder and toes were touching Fitz's. They were dating, and they'd hugged plenty of times. They'd even come very close to kissing more than once but Sophie blushed even harder when Fitz wrapped his arm around her and pulled her even closer until they were almost snuggling.

She saw Keefe flinch out of the corner of her eye, wondering what that was about. But she couldn't deny she still felt comfortable nestled against Fitz.

"Your turn, Foster," Keefe told her.

"Oh, yeah. Um, Fitz, truth or dare?"

"Would it be too dangerous if I chose truth?"

"You'll have to see," she teased evasively.

"Fine, truth."

"Okay, what's the most embarrassing thing that happened to you at Foxfire?"

"This better be good," Biana said. "We need something crazy."

"Well, this one time," Fitz started, "I got beat in a splotching match by a Level Two prodigy when I was a Level Four."

"Sophie!" Dex exclaimed.

"Wait, that was really the most embarrassing thing?" Tam asked.

"It's the first thing that popped into my head," Fitz replied.

"Not even the time a certain knock-out gave you a neon orange afro?" Keefe pressed.

Fitz rolled his eyes. "I forgot about that until you brought it up. But I didn't go to school that day, remember?"

"Yeah, 'cause one of the side effects was a case of severe acne."

Everyone laughed as Fitz rolled his eyes again. "It's my turn," he said. "Keefe."

"In the flesh."

"Truth or dare?"

"Dare, of course."

Fitz took about thirty seconds to answer, and that's how Sophie knew his dare would be legendary. But she still wasn't prepared when he said, "We're going to use Biana's stuff to make you over, and you have to let us."

Part of her expected Keefe to beg for a different dare, but the other part of her wasn't surprised at all when he grinned. "Bring it on."

That was how she found herself running back from Biana's room holding a hair straightener, with Biana carrying an array of powders and concealers, and Linh's arms full of a dozen different kinds of makeup.

Keefe paled slightly when he saw what Sophie held. "Is that a flat iron?" he asked, pointing.

"Yeah, it is," she told him with a smile.

"Biana, I swear, if you burn a single strand of the Hair-"

"Relax, Keefe," she reassured him, "you're in good hands."

But Keefe grew increasingly nervous as he plucked something out of the mess Linh was carrying. "What is that?"

"That," Biana explained, "is an eyelash curler."

"It looks like a torture device!"

"It looks like it could scoop your eyeball out!" Dex jumped in.

Sophie had to agree with him. She'd used an eyelash curler once, and had nearly torn off her eyelid.

"I think this is the best day of my life," Tam said.

"Definitely one of my best," Fitz agreed.

"I'm ready for this," Dex added.

"I gotta say, I'm regretting this," Keefe admitted.

"You're gonna be fine," Linh told him. "Except you'll look like a princess at the end."

"Okay, first we have to find your foundation shade," Biana instructed, holding up bottle after bottle to Keefe's face. Sophie had to admit Keefe had amazingly smooth skin, along with all elves, but after Biana and Linh were done with his face, he looked even better, if that was possible.

Keefe raised a tentative finger and poked his cheek. "It's glittery!"

Biana ignored him and waved an eyeshadow palette at the boys. "Who wants to do this part?"

Tam jumped up first. "I got this."

Two minutes later Keefe's eyelids were very sparkly indeed. Sophie did a small flick of eyeliner because Biana insisted, Dex did highlighter, and Fitz went to town on the blush until Keefe really did look like a Renaissance princess. They decided his face was structured enough to forgo contour, and then Biana handed him the eyelash curler.

"This is gonna be the death of me," Keefe moaned.

"Just do it!" Linh told him.

He took a deep breath and quickly did both eyes, screeching only a few times. Biana did his mascara, then swiftly straightened his hair and swept it back until it looked more like Dex's.

"Wait," Sophie interjected, pushing the front of Keefe's hair down his forehead.

"BANGS BOY!" Tam shouted.

Dex and Fitz were laughing so hard they were wiping their eyes on their sleeves.

"I can't handle this," Keefe said, pushing his hair back up.

Biana handed Sophie a pot of lip gloss and a lip liner. "Final steps. The liner's unopened."

"You want me to do his lips?" Sophie nearly choked.

"Yeah." Biana grinned.

"Okay," Sophie slowly agreed, not sure what she was getting herself in to.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Please give constructive criticism if you can, I need a second opionion on my writing. This chapter was a little early!**

Sophie had done "awkward" plenty of times. Heck, she was a master of "awkward". But as she uncapped the line, she was introduced to a whole new realm of it.

Her friends were here.

Biana was smirking conspiratorially.

And her boyfriend was here.

Fitz was here, watching when she leaned forward anyway, something deep down compelling her as she placed the right edge of her right hand on Keefe's jaw to stabilize her grip.

Keefe even seemed to be suppressing a smile, which made his lips twitch, so Sophie had to place her other fingers on the other side of his face. She finished with the liner and swiped gloss over it, but her slightly trembling hand made it go outside, like a toddler coloring its first masterpiece. Then to clean that up, she had to swipe her pinky finger across the gap between his upper lip and nose, which didn't do anything to help matters.

Sophie sat back to survey Keefe's makeover.

He really didn't look that different. A little glammed up, with extremely shiny eyelids and very pink cheeks. Even his hair looked good out of its trademark style, tousled and sun-bleached from his time at the Shores of Solace - almost like the California surfer boys' Sophie had heard so much about but had never actually seen.

Tam was the first to speak. "He needs more shine."

"How about no?" Keefe decided. "Could I PLEASE see a mirror now?"

"Let's go to the guest bathroom," Fitz suggested.

The entire group crammed themselves into the bathroom down the hall. A long mirror spanned the entire double-sink counter, right there for Keefe.

He stared.

And stared some more.

And some more.

"You gotta admit, Fitzy," he said finally, "I make a pretty hot princess. Even the Hair is looking good."

He puckered his lips. It looked like he was about to grab Sophie's hand, but hesitated just a second before kissing his own hand and holding it up for Fitz to see. "Look at that. I was born a princess."

"Sophie killed it on the lips," said Dex.

Fitz seemed to be biting the inside of his lip as he said drily, "She really did."

"Yeah, the eyeliner's good too." Linh smiled.

"Please, we all know I did the best," Tam jumped in.

Biana's retort was cut off as Della called for dinner.

Sophie found herself next to Fitz as they clattered down the stairs. "Keefe really pulls that off, doesn't he?" he asked.

"He does," Sophie admitted. But she wanted to pull the words back into her mouth as soon as she said them, realizing how they sounded aloud.

Fitz either didn't notice too much or chose to ignore her, but the smile he gave her was slightly tight on the edges.

After a satisfying dinner and way too much dessert, Sophie grabbed an extra sleeping bag from the pile in the room they were using. They pushed the table and chairs out of the way, then spread out all the sleeping bags. (A/N I forgot to say that she brought a pillow and Ella so let's pretend she did cuz im just a great storyteller that way.) Sophie ended up in between Keefe and Fitz, because fate just seemed to hate her an extra bit. She brushed her teeth and changed into pajamas with Biana and Linh in Biana's bathroom, then went through some excessively long night routine the Vacker sister made her and Linh try. Then she settled into her sleeping bag as everyone else burrowed into their own.

"Now we spill secrets," Keefe said as the door closed behind Fitz.

"Yeah, I wanna hear the juicy stuff," Tam agreed.

"Sure, but how are we going to do this?" Biana asked.

"Well," Sophie spoke up, "there's this one game called Paranoia. Do you guys know how to play?"

"Nope," Dex said.

"Can you teach us?" Linh asked.

"Of course," Sophie said.

Only a tiny part of her worried what she was getting herself into.


End file.
